Pianist Andrew Tyson wows Perth audience

The lustre of Lunchtime Concerts in Perth Concert Hall was further burnished by exceptional performances from Leeds International piano competition laureate Andrew Tyson, in a show distinguished by his considerable technical address, writes Ian Hunter.

First came Ravel’s Miroirs where the exceptional Steinway and even transparency of acoustic abetted Andrew’s clarity of understanding and fingerwork.

The chatter at the start of Noctuelles was done with precision and humour, the mournful atmosphere of Oiseaux tristes was perfect, changing immediately to glittering sunlight in Une barque sur l’océan.

The master performance, though, was the Alborada del gracioso, its startling sonorities brought out in virtuoso manner.

As magician of the keyboard, he brought out the infinite variety of bell tones in La vallée des cloches. And the 24 pieces of Chopin’s Préludes Op.28 again showed real care for articulation and tone colour.

His Chopin was full-blooded in range: No.3 had fast, brilliant clarity, the short No.7 balletic, No.8 stormy. No.11 danced with gaiety. No.15, had sensitive melody and menace. No.20 had magnificent sonority, No.22 torrents of sound and the last, stormy passion.

The audience’s enthusiasm earned them an encore in an exciting, individual reading of Scarlatti’s Sonata in d minor Kk9.